Garages often become cluttered and dark, making it difficult to see what you’re working on. By adding LED lighting, you can brighten up the space and make it easier to work in. Not only will this improve your productivity, but it will also make the garage a more welcoming space. LED lights are incredibly energy-efficient, so they won’t add much to your electricity bill. If you want to make your garage a more functional and inviting space, consider adding some LED lighting. You won’t regret it!
Almost all individual household units, regardless of their size, feature a garage space. Garages have become essential, multi-functional spaces to be used not only for car parkings, but also used as storage areas, workshops, studios and offering endless potential opportunities for the use of the space.
Although a lot of people consider garage lighting to be insignificant or inconsequential, however, considering the range of applications for the garage space, a proper and well planned lighting system is extremely important for the operation and safety of the space.
Poor or improper lighting can affect the functions intended, it can cause eye strain and may also lead to accidents. Even if used for one main purpose of car parking, only proper lighting will allow smooth steering and a defined parking area, especially during the night.
Imagine you are in your garage sawing off a log of wood or repairing your car under a dim light, forcing you to walk to the light switch to increase the light level. The Smart Saber can provide an easy solution to this inconvenience, due to its Bluetooth capabilities, the lighting can be controlled with your mobile phone in a smooth and easy way.
Multiple smart sabers can form a Bluetooth mesh network with your phone, allowing you to control individual or multiple smart sabers with the touch of a button. This product offers a major improvement over old traditional fluorescent lights due to several features such as color temperature adjustment to set the temperature to your preference, in addition to the simple operation and long lifetime of up to 30,000 working hours.
The CLA Razor is a surface mounted batten light with a slim build, and low energy consumption which makes it a great light source for garages. The light incorporates CCT color changing technology which provides multiple options of color temperatures including warm white, cool white and daylight. The CLA Razor is available in 2 sizes 1200mm and 600 mm, to match your different preferences and space requirements, and needless to say, both provide a bright and beautiful lighting output for your garage. Despite its several functionalities such as dimming and 2-way switching, there is no Bluetooth connectivity for remote access.
Do you require a budget light that delivers very bright light and offers different color temperature options? The Mercator Wave II can be a great option for you, with tri-color technology reaching as high as 6000k for daylight mode. It is a strong, durable light with a IP65 protection rating and a very competitive price, to ensure that the Mercator Wave II will deliver an amazing and efficient lighting output in your garage.
The Encore lighting is another great lighting batten for your garage. It incorporates energy saving LED technology and provides a very bright light at a beam angle of 120º, making it highly flexible for installing as a center light or for fitting above work tables in the garage. However, this product doesn’t offer dimming capabilities – thereby limiting its operation to on or off- and there are no variations to color temperature. It is available in two sizes giving you a choice to match your needs.
If you are looking for a concentrated downlight at an affordable price, then the Lampada Premia is the right choice for you. It is equipped with a powerful 9W SMD LED which offers built-in tri-color technology and a 60º beam angle making it great for both the interior and exterior area of your garage. It is also lined with a diecast aluminum heatsink which effectively minimizes the heat generated, making it great for ceiling cavities. It has a waterproof rating of IP54 protection, which makes it suitable for outdoor spaces, and guarded against dust and rain.
This is an upgrade to the Lampada Premia 9W LED Tri Color Premium Downlight, incorporating the latest LED technologies and color rendering index features to produce one of the best downlights on the market. This LED downlight is equipped with a 13W CREE Chip-On-Board LED chip which produces 5 variations of color temperatures as opposed to previous options delivering only 3. The high color rendering index ensures objects are seen with their natural color regardless of external factors that could affect visibility, which makes the light output truly optimum. It is built with a die-cast aluminum heatsink to minimize produced heat and offers 5CCT color changing technology, allowing you to switch the intensity between 2700K, 3000K, 4000K, 5000K and 6500K, to ensure your light output perfectly matches your task and environment.
The Domus tri-color panel light is fitted with a backlit LED which produces a uniform bright light across the entire panel whose color temperature can be changed based on personal needs and requirements. It is a great ceiling light option and has a harmonic filter that minimizes total harmonic distortion and reduces strobing effects. This harmonic filter also ensures that the light output is flicker-free to eliminate the flickers you get when recording videos.
If you are looking for a panel light that has a bright, uniform light which you can control from your smartphone, then look no further. Not only does the Smart Minka light offer uniformity and remote controllability , its Bluetooth mesh technology allows for communication between multiple lights to give you a broader control on the final effect and is low-maintenance, making it a great option for your garage if you can allocate the budget for it. It also allows color temperature regulation from 3000k warm light to 5700k for bright daylight and has a beam angle of 120º.
The lights outside your garage are just as important as those inside. Not only do they provide security, but they also contribute to improving the space and they increase visibility of the surroundings. The Park LED flood light has a beam spread of 120º and a white light 5000K daylight output, guaranteeing that the exterior of your garage will be well illuminated. The lights are constructed from die-cast aluminum that controls the emitted heat and provides a smooth and steady supply of light.
A more budget friendly choice for outdoor lights for your garage is the Comet LED flood light, available in a waterproof rating of IP44, making them safe for operation during rain. . The Comet LED flood light can be tilted to face any direction and is available in three different variations: a single 10W, double 20W and double 20W with a built-in sensor, all of which are fitted with a high powered interchangeable PAR30 globe. A replaceable globe offers very simple maintenance in case of burn or damage to simply replace the damaged globe, instead of replacing the entire lighting fixture. The light provides an output of 5000k cool white and the sensor feature has a sensitivity adjustment of up to 12 meters and a detection range of 180º.
| Lighting | Price | Nature | Bluetooth | Dimmable | Color Temperatures | Waterproof |
| Brilliant Smart Saber 24W LED Bluetooth Mesh 600mm Batten Light | $99.00 | Batten | Yes | Yes | 2 | Yes |
| CLA Razor 36W LED Tri Color Low Profile 1200mm Batten Light | $72.95 | Batten | No | Yes | 3 | No |
| Mercator Wave II 15W LED Tri Color Vandal Proof Batten Light | $52.95 | Batten | No | No | 3 | Yes |
| Encore 18W LED Batten Light | $74.00 | Batten | No | No | 1 | No |
| Lampada Premia 9W LED Tri Color Premium Downlight | $29.95 | Downlight | No | Yes | 3 | Yes |
| Lampada Premio 5CCT 13W Premium COB LED Gimble Downlight | $74.95 | Downlight | No | Yes | 5 | Yes |
| Domus 36W LED Tri Color Recessed Panel Light 1200x300mm | $87.95 | Panel | No | No | 3 | No |
| Brilliant Smart Minka 35W LED Tunable White Bluetooth Mesh Panel Light 600x600mm | $119.00 | Panel | Yes | Yes | 2 | No |
| Park 70W Led Flood Light – 240V | $137.00 | Flood Light | No | No | 1 | Yes |
| Comet LED Flood Lights | $38 $58 $72 | Flood Light | No | No | 1 | Yes |
No matter what the intended function or use of the garage space, it is vital to install and set-up a proper lighting system. A dark and faintly lit garage does not cause issues only for the work intended, but it can also pose a safety problem, causing you to trip over threads or hoses or unintentionally knock off objects.
If you attempt to carry out any maintenance work, even if minor, in a dimly lit garage, you’ll be putting yourself at a risk of accidents. A well planned lighting system in your garage, significantly reduces the risks and ensures personal safety and an accident-free environment.
This article will act as a guide for the types, details and installation methods of potential garage lighting systems using LED light fixtures. The best garage lighting transforms a potentially dangerous space into a safer and friendlier environment with a more comfortable and open feel.
Luckily, the market offers a wide range of LED lighting types that can meet the specific needs of the space. Replacing conventional lighting fixtures with energy-efficient LEDs or screws can effectively introduce multi-position lighting and upgrade your overall garage lighting system.
Now that we highlighted the importance of garage parking spaces, the next key issue to determine is the amount of lighting required within the garage. To address this question, it is essential to understand what the term ‘lumens’ stands for, as it is often shown or highlighted on the packaging or advertisements for LED light bulbs.
Lumens are a measure of the amount of light produced by a light source, and the higher the lumens rating is, the brighter the LED. Lumen output is different from the ‘wattage’ which refers to the power consumed by an electrical appliance.
When addressing the amount of lighting a space, including garages, requires, you should typically consider and determine the ‘lumens’ required. As a general rule, for every square meter of a basic garage space, a minimum of 50 Lumens of lighting is required. For more practical purposes, 80-100 Lumens are recommended per square foot.
Effectively, for a one-car garage, with an approximate area of 264 square feet (22 feet by 12 feet), 13200 Lumens of lighting is required. A two-car garage, with an area of 440 (22 feet by 20 feet )square feet, 22000 Lumens of lighting is required.
If you intend to use your garage for other purposes such as a workshop or a studio, a higher amount of lighting is required. For example, for a garage cum workshop, approximately 300 lumens per square foot is required for proper illumination.
There are various types of light sources that can be used for garages, including Incandescent Light Bulbs, Fluorescent Light Bulbs/CFLs (Compact Fluorescent Lamp) and LEDs. Incandescent lights are generally the light source to avoid using. This type consumes a lot of energy with low light outputs, and inadequate brightness levels.
Incandescent lights also have an extremely short life expectancy and ultimately require more frequent replacements.
Fluorescent Light Bulbs/CFLs use a fluorescent coating to convert UV Radiation into Visible Light Radiation. They are more energy efficient and last longer than incandescent lights, but still fall short in comparison to LEDs.
LEDs or Light Emitting Diodes have extremely long life expectancies, and consume much less energy while delivering a greater light output, which makes this type extremely economical, greatly reducing the electricity bills.
Based on the brief description of all three light sources, LED lights are clearly the best option. LED lights are much more energy efficient and last longer than other types, and are cheaper on the long run.
LED stands for “Light Emitting Diode,” referring to a small component in the middle of the light that glows when electricity flows through it.These bulbs are a popular choice because of their brightness, energy efficiency, and longer lifetimes.
LEDs are standard in daily objects such as flashlights, and they produce directional light with a very bright beam of light directly that focuses on a small area. Garage lighting manufacturers compensate for this in two ways: they create LED lights with multi-directional orientations and install reflectors to distribute light throughout the space evenly.
These features make the output of LED lights a great alternative to the incandescent bulb’s comprehensive cast lighting, without the irritating chemicals and UV light of incandescent bulbs.
LED lights are also 100% recyclable, which can significantly reduce your carbon footprint. Over its lifetime, a LED lamp can complete the work of about 25 incandescent bulbs, greatly reducing manufacturing and production materials.
When you use LED lights in your Garage, you can expect many benefits, including:
LED lights hardly emit forward heat, while traditional bulbs (such as incandescent bulbs) convert more than 90% of the total energy used to power them into heat. Additionally, the lower power consumption of LED lights makes their operation much more effective in low-voltage electrical systems.
These types are mounted to the ceiling or attached to the ceiling via ropes or chains.
High Bay lights are generally used for large, commercial purposes and facilities, typically installed surface mounted or hanging from a high ceiling, hence the name ‘High’ bay. They provide large amounts of illuminance, uniformly and fully illuminating large spaces.
Shop lights are great options for lighting small and compact garages. Such an arrangement of a shop light is cost-effective, has low power consumption, while producing sufficient illuminance for the space.
Shop lights traditionally used fluorescent lights, but nowadays, they have been replaced by LED lights. The LED Light can either be directly fixed to the fixture (Integrated LED Shop Light) or might require separate fixing (LED Shop light retrofits). In both cases, the installation process is very simple and convenient for the user.
Smaller lights such as LED Strips may also be used. These are accessory lights used to illuminate specific areas such as cupboards, cabinets, or other similar areas that general light can not reach. LED lights mounted to the Ceiling are the most commonly used and recommended form of lighting.
Overhead lights
An overhead light is a light that is mounted on or hung from the ceiling.
Clamp-on lights
Clamp-on lights are portable lights that can be attached anywhere and offer flexibility to change their position. They are generally used for workstations and work benches, if needed in the garage.
Tasks light
These lights illuminate specific functions on workstations in a garage.
Entrance light
The entrance of a garage is usually illuminated by an LED Strip.
Choosing the right type of LED is very important and it is worthy to determine the following features before settling on the specific light.
‘Lumen’ rating of the bulb is the most important feature to keep in mind before buying an LED. Lumens determine how bright a light bulb is and the larger the space, the greater the light requirement, so the higher the LED ‘lumen rating’ should be.
Wattage determines the power consumption of an LED. Higher wattages mean the light will consume more and ultimately increase the value of the electricity bill. You should always select LED options with lower wattages.
A key point to keep in mind is that wattage has no relation to the brightness (which is related to the ‘Lumen rating’) of the LED.
Colour Temperature is another important feature to factor in during the selection process. Each LED light has a specific temperature rating (Example 5000 Kelvin or 5000 K), which is an indicator of the warmth or coolness of the LED bulb.
Low colour temperatures (~3000 K) correspond to warm, pleasant shades of light while high colour temperatures (~6000 K) refer to cool and energizing light effects. It is generally recommended to choose a balanced colour temperature, neither too cool nor too warm, i.e, in between the two extremes (~4000 – 5000 K)
Colour temperature refers to the colour at which light is produced, measured on the Kelvin scale. The temperature range is between 3500K to 6000K, with low values closer to warm and yellow, and higher values matching cold and blue effects.
Most garages tend to be industrial in grey, so lower lighting temperatures are generally appreciated, while higher temperatures can make the floors dull. Generally aim for a temperature around 4-5000K. The light emitted by a 5000K light bulb has a subtle blue effect, but with no negative or dizzying effects.
Some lights have an adjustable colour temperature that allows you to go through the range and choose the most suitable colour temperature.
The primary goal of lights fixtures in the garage is to cover the maximum area while using the minimum number of lights, ensuring a uniform distribution of light within the space. Choosing LED lights is not enough, the proper LED type needs to be selected to achieve the best effect and LED Battens are generally the most effective types of LED for garages.
LED batten lights are similar to the simple fluorescent light tubes except that they hold LED bulbs. LED battens emit uniform light and therefore ensure that the entire garage is well lit.
There are several advantages of installing an LED Batten:
The primary goal of any lighting system is to cover the maximum area using the minimum number of lights. Therefore the ideal placement of an overhead light is in the middle of the ceiling, while having an even distribution.
In case two lights are used, then the lights should be located at equal distances from the centre and the boundary. Other alternative locations to fix the lights in a garage are the space above the garage door or on the walls of the garage. These setups would generate focused light outputs and not uniform lighting.
Some garages might not have a proper power supply that can provide a supply for the LED Battens. In such a case, it might be a good option to install solar panels to generate electricity and power the LED garage lights.
An alternative to solar panels is a Portable Generator that acts as a high-power battery and can in turn supply the LED lights.
There are several methods to ensure the most suitable lighting effects and guarantee a great lighting upgrade in the garage.
Lighting installed at specific locations in the garage, such as workstations, cabinets or cupboard edges will not only improve the function of the space but will also enhance the appearance of the garage.
Dim or overly lit rooms are very unpleasant to the eyes, so it is very important to study and properly plan the light for your garage.
Replacing traditional lights with LED lights will not only illuminate the garage more effectively but will also be far more cost effective.
Explore common reasons why LED lights won’t turn on, from faulty wiring and incorrect installations to dead bulbs and power […]
Lighting has come a long way with technological developments moving the lighting industry forward. Incandescent lights have been around longer, […]
LED ceiling lights have become an indispensable element of interior décor. They can enhance the outlook of indoor spaces significantly […]
In the era of modern illumination, LED lights are by far the most highly preferred choice by home and business […]
